Toy guns



Dec. 15, 1959 T. J. HANDLEY TOY GUNS Filed Feb. 3, 195a tar TOY GUNSApplication February 3, 1958, Serial No. 712,699

Claims priority, application Great Britain February 7, 1957 7 Claims.(Cl. 124--29) England, assignor to England, a company of This inventionrelates to toy or model guns and is concerned with an improved firingmechanism therefor.

Most toy guns are muzzle loaded, the projectile being fired by a springactuated striker, this striker consisting of a lever arm which is freelymovable within a slot formed in the barrel of the gun at the breech end.Normally the lever member is formed with an extension and projects abovethe barrel so that it can readily be withdrawn and released by theperson firing a projectile.

According to the present invention firing mechanism for a toy or modelgun comprises a coil spring and striker pin associated therewith, bothhoused in a bore or chamber at the breech end of the barrel of the gun,the pin having an offset arm or portion which extends transversely ofthe bore constituting the barrel proper and is adapted to functionpreferably both as the cocking handle and trigger by which the gun isfired, means being provided on the breech block to retain the saidoffset portion in its cocked position.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a breech block piecehaving two parallel bores, one bore of which, when the piece isincorporated in the gun, forms part of or provides the bore or barrelproper of the gun and the other termed the chamber houses a helical coilspring and a wire rod arranged within the spring and having preferablyan enlarged head by which it is anchored at one end to the spring. Atthe breech end is a slot within which is slidable a crank or offsetportion on that end of the wire rod opposite the head. The crank may beformed by bending the rod at right angles and is of sufficient length toproject externally of the slot, the projecting portion functioning asthe cocking handle.

The slot at the rear end may be extended sideways at an angle to form arecess so that the handle end of the wire rod can be directed into therecess and held there until it is required to be released in the actionof firing the gun.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy gun constructed in accordance witha preferred embodiment of the invention, the barrel being shown insection to illustrate the operation of the firing mechanism,

Figure 2 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale on the lines 22 ofFigure 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a model toy gun comprising amobile carriage C supported by wheels W. The carriage C has upstandingbracket arms B, each arm having a trunnion T for supporting the barrelstructure S so that it is capable of elevation and depression; A is theusual gun shield.

The barrel structure comprises a barrel 1 and a breech block 2, thebreech block 2 having a rearward extension 3. Extending from the muzzleto the breech end of the barrel is a longitudinal bore 4 which continuesthrough the breech block 2 into the extension 3 where it is terminatedby a shoulder 5. Where the barrel 1 joins with the breech block 2 thebore 4 is curved upwardly as at nited States Patent 6 so as to providean entrant recess 7 for insertion of projectiles, one of which is shownin position at 8. Extending longitudinally of the bore 4 and arrangedpreferably beneath it is a second bore or chamber 10 in which isslidably carried a striker pin 11.

The striker pin 11 is urged forward by means of a coil spring 12, oneend of which is seated against the end 13 of chamber 10, while its otherend engages an enlarged head 14 on the striker pin 11. Formed in theextension 3 of the breech block is a vertical slot 15 to receive anoffset portion 17 of the striker pin 11. The offset portion 17 extendstransversely of the bore 4 of the barrel and is adapted to function asthe cocking handle and trigger by means of which the gun is fired.

For this purpose the extension 3 of the breech block is cut away as at18 to provide a shoulder or recess behind which the trigger arm 17 ofthe striker pin can be engaged when the striker is pulled rearwardlypreparatory to loading and firing the gun. To assist the firer inoperating the striker arm 17, it is preferably, as shown,

formed with a finger piece 19.

In the embodiment illustrated as clearly shown in Figure 2, the barrelstructure and breech. block is constructed in two halves, which separatealong a vertical plane, the purpose being to enable insertion of thespring 12 and striker pin within chamber 10. The two halves of thebarrel structure may be united by a muzzle collar 29 and rivets or screwstuds 31 at the breech end.

Provision may be made for adjusting the angle of elevation of the barreland for this purpose, the barrel structure is formed on its undersidewith a depending lug 20 having a detent 21 adapted to engage between oneor other of a series of teeth 22 formed on the upper face of one arm 23of a two-armed lever, the other arm being indicated at 24.

The two-armed lever is mounted to pivot about a fulcrum 25 carried by abracket 26 on the undercarriage C. On the rear arm 24 of the two-armedlever is a circular head 28 having on its inside a stud to locate oneend of a coil spring 30, the other end of the spring being located by aseating such as a stud on the right-hand of the two brackets Bconstituting the trunnion mounting for the barrel structure S.

It will be seen that the thrust of the compression spring 30 tends tourge the two-armed lever 2324 in a clockwise direction about its fulcrum25, thus causing one or other of the grooves between the rack teeth 22to engage the detent 21. In efiect the two-armed lever functions as anadjustable rack member on the carriage for engagement by the detent 21on the barrel structure.

It will be obvious, however, that by applying pressure in the directionof the arrow X on the finger piece 28, that the lever can be moved toallow the detent to disengage when the elevation of the gun can beadjusted to fire high or low as the case may be.

In operation and assuming that the elevation has been adjusted to suitthe required range, all the titer has to do is to pull the trigger arm17 rearwardly when the firing pin will move from the dotted lineposition shown in Figure 1, to the full line position where it is heldby swinging the arm 17 to engage the recess 13. A projectile 8 is nowinserted in the open breech when the gun is fired by releasing thetrigger 17.

The firing mechanism of this invention has the advantage that the actionis simple and effective in operation.

The breech block of this invention has numerous advantages. Since thegun of this invention is breech loaded it is more realistic as a toy andin use there can be no damage to the barrel since when the striker movesforwardly under the action of its spring, the striker pin head 14engages the stop formed by the forward end of the chamber 10, at whichmoment the striker arm 17 is arrested at a position shown in dottedlines, which is clear of the breech block 2 so that it comes to restslightly behind the part 6.

From a manufacturing standpoint the gun has the advantage that differentgauge springs and different lengths of springs can be fitted without anychange in the construction of the gun.

The breech block, being self-contained, can be fitted as the firingmechanism to any existing design of toy gun without disturbance of.its'general layout.

The firing mechanism is simple and efiective in operation and due to thelocation of the mechanism outside the barrel of the gun, it reducesmanufacturing costs. The breech block can be fabricated as a moulding inplastic material.

What is claimed is:

l. A toy or model gun comprising a barrel structure including a breechblock portion, a bore extending from the muzzel to the breech end ofsaid structure and adapted for loading at the breech end, a chamber insaid structure extending substantially parallel to the bore, a strikerpin mounted for longitudinal movements in said chambet in the directionof extent of said chamber and angularly about the longitudinal axis ofthe chamber, a spring urging said striker pin to move longitudinally insaid chamber toward the muzzle end of said structure, a slot in saidbarrel adjacent said breech end and extending parallel to said here,said striker pin having a laterally offset projectile engageable armwhich is freely movable in said slot, means on the breech block portionproviding a stop offset laterally from said bore for engagement by saidstriker pin offset arm when the striker pin is withdrawn preparatory tofiring a projectile and is turned to displace said striker pin offsetarm'to one side of said .bore breech end, and means other than saidlaterally offset arm for arresting the striker pin as when released forfiring the gun in a position in which contact between the arm and breechis prevented.

2. A toy or model gun as claimed in claim 1 in which said spring ishoused in said chamber.

3. A toy or model gun as claimed in claim 2 wherein the relativepositions respectively of said chamber and the bore of the gun are suchthat the free end of the striker pin will engage the muzzle end of thechamber to arrest the striker arm in a position where it remains out ofcontact with said stop on the breech block portion.

4. A toy or model gun as claimed in claim 3 in which the barrelstructure is formed in two halves to permit of insertion of the strikerpin and spring in said chamber.

5. A toy or model gun as claimed in claim 2 in which the striker pinoitset arm extends beyond the slot whereby the arm serves both as thestriker and cocking handle.

6. A toy or model gun as claimed in claim 2 comprising a carriageprovided with a trunnion mounting in which the barrel structure isfulcrumed to' permit of elevation and depression, and elevating meanscomprising an adjustable rack member on the carriage, and a detent onthe barrel structure engageable with said rack member.

7. A toy or model gun as claimed in claim 6 in which the adjustable rackmember comprises a two-armed lever mounted for rocking movements aboutan axis at right angles to the plane of elevation of the barrelstructure, one of said arms having a rack for engagement by the detenton the barrel structure, and a spring member cooperating with the otherarm of said lever whereby the detent is normally held in fixedengagement with a tooth on the rack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,175,803 Osborn Mar. 14, 1916 1,229,129 Peacock June 5, '19l7 1,289,622Blackshear Dec. '31, 1918 1,488,995 McCollom Apr. 1, 1924 2,528,723 HaneNov. 7, 1950

